Percussion
Stella Perlic is a percussionist and educator based in New York City. She has performed all over New York including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Broadway. Recently, she has appeared with Heartbeat Opera, Hudson Chorale, and Cantori New York as well as playing with WHCO since 2018. Aside from music, she likes cooking, reading, and walking in Riverside Park.
Meet Stella
At what age did you get involved with music?
I officially started group percussion lessons in first grade, but my dad exposed me to a lot of music before that. He took me to a lot of drum circles (I grew up in Seattle in the 90s), he owned a CD store, and he played cello in a community orchestra. We would also see a lot of outdoor concerts – one of my first memories is seeing Pearl Jam.
What drew you to your instrument of choice?
I wanted to be different from my friends who were playing violin and piano. Since I started in first grade and couldn’t really pick up a wind instrument, I went with percussion. As I got older, I really liked how rhythm-focused it was and how physical it can be.
What are some of your hobbies outside of music?
I do all of the classic introvert hobbies: cooking/baking, crafting, and reading.
What is, in your opinion, the most important thing about accessibility to music education?
I think everybody deserves the time, energy, and finances to engage with art because it is one of the best parts of being human. Music education specifically is important because most people listen to music daily, and it’s really exciting to learn about why things are the way they are. It’s cool to learn how gravity interacts with your daily life in physics class and to learn how different timbres affect the mood of a song. I also think K-12 music education is great because it’s so community and ensemble focused.
What music do you like to listen to outside of classical music?
I will enjoy any music with a good beat, but I mostly listen to the Fleet Foxes and K-pop.